Most of the teachers I have met are single. I think having a wife would be difficult in this profession?? Am I right? Hope I am wrong. Can the marrieds tell me. Would it not be more difficult to find an ESL position as a married????

I have lived in Asia close to 18 years and was in one position in Asia for 15 years. I have an MA TESOL and see this field as my career. I am not interested in being a transient at this time. I will stay put if I can. But a wife on this salary??? And if situation changed and I had to repatriate it would bedifficult to find a good position in the US. My friends with their MA TESOL work in adult education or in Community Colleges. The hourly pay is good--getting enough hours to make a comfortable living is another thing. With all this in mind I wonder about marriage, especially if one married a foreigner.

Well, I managed it! My wife is from Thailand, and we've been together for nearly 15 years. I first taught in Thailand, then in Japan, back in Thailand again, and finally in the USA (after completing my MA). And in my travels I've met lots and lots of married ESL/EFL teachers throughout the world.

Wha'z up?
Dave, just curious. What did your wife do while you were teaching? If she's from Thailand and you taught there, obviously she was able to work there as well. What about when you taught in Japan? I'm in a similar situation. I'm married to a woman from Latin America, but I'd like to teach in Asia once I finish my Masters which is in a month. Any demand for Spanish classes at all in Asia?
Chow for Now,
Curious About Life With A Wife On The Road From Motown Gary B.

My husband and I both teach EFL/ESL. We didn't when we first got married. He was teaching ESL in Vancouver, and we decided that we wanted to live abroad, so I also got a job in the EFL field when we went to Korea. I ended up enjoying teaching a lot more than my technical theatre and film career, so I am still teaching 6 years later. I am now looking to further my teaching career and am looking into Master's programmes so that I might be able to teach in a college someday.

There are some hazards associated with both husband and wife being teachers. We have a tendency to talk shop too much. Most of our friends are also teachers. For several years we worked at the same school, and this was okay for us (we didn't fight or get on eachother's nerves) but it made for pretty boring dinner conversation. "How was work- oh yeah, I was there too."

Right now we are busy squirrelling away cash so that we can have kids someday soon. I would like to have the luxury of stying home with my children until they are school aged, so we need to save as much as we can before trying to live on ONE teacher's salary.

How many people out there have kids? How many can afford for one parent to stay home with them? Is this possible on a teacher's salary where you are?

How many people out there have kids? How many can afford for one parent to stay home with them? Is this possible on a teacher's salary where you are?

Our first is on the way, and 3 out of 4 co-workers of mine have kids with their Japanese wives. Making ends meet isn't easy, and all of us supplement our FT or PT jobs with private lessons (and in my case, proofreading, too). About half of us have working wives.

What did your wife do while you were teaching? If she's from Thailand and you taught there, obviously she was able to work there as well.

She was teaching Thai ... and giving birth to my son!

Quote:

What about when you taught in Japan?

She studied Japanese, and was also able to earn some income by babysitting the children of some of the wealthy expats living and working in Tokyo. We had a wonderful year, which was really like a working honeymoon for us.

Wha'z up?
Dave, thanks for the answers and thanks to all of the responses. Teaching and traveling single is certainely much different than teaching and traveling being married and it's been interesting hearing about all of your experiences since this will be new for us. I met my wife while I was teaching in Ecuador and I'm currently teaching back in the States and she's able to work legally here as well. It'll be much different if we go to Asia where I'd be able to teach, but the question is what will she do? It was encouraging to hear the positives. We could always go back to Ecuador, but the dollarization process is sending the prices sky high in relation to the pay. Anybody need info about Ecuador, feel free to ask though I haven't been there in 2 years, but still write to a freind that's still there.
Chow for Now,
Great Topic From Motown Gary B.

I wonder if a better question might not be: " Is marriage EVER practical? "
Of course, it could be that, after two divorces, I'm just a bit jaded. Dr. Johnson observed that remarriage is the triumph of hope over experience. My addition to that - with an eye towrds the divorce rates - would be that even an initial marriage is the triumph of love over " reality ". But, having shown my cynical side, I'll admit that I'm still rooting for hope and love over experience and " reality ".
Regards,
John

My wife is indonesian. No regrets. We have 2 kids. I started in a language school now i'm in a high school and hopefully after some more qualifications i'll be in an international school. there's jobs out there that do pay well and wifes out there that make your life well. Marriage is fantastic!

Marriage can work in this field especially if your partner/wife is a tefl teacher as well.The key questions are money and (later), your kids' education.The Middle East is the only place where you'll have a really decent standard of living as a family in this industry. Many contracts out here give you marital status and contribute substantial amounts to schooling.There are many happy couples out here.